This invention relates to the use of optical sensors to detect and calculate the position and speed of a welding arc during a live welding operation.
There are several methods that have been used to attempt to calculate the position and/or speed of a welding arc or welding puddle during a live welding operation. These take multiple forms including sensors that are part of the helmet, a welding gun or welding tool, the welding machine, set off to one side of the work area, or mounted to the ceiling, and utilize technologies including among others infrared tracking, RF, electromagnetic, and optical sensing.
Welding sensors that are mounted to the welding gun are not generally capable of tracking speed without interacting with separate sensors in the nearby vicinity. Welding gun, as used herein, includes wire feed welding guns, as well as SMAW welding rod holders and other hand held welding tools. These sensors act as signal transmitters or receivers that spatially locate or track the welding gun.
Some welding sensing applications mount sensors to the ceiling of the work area, or to a pedestal or fixture. These embodiments are not easily portable, and require materials be brought to a specific work area to be welded. This setup excludes welding activity that must be done outdoors, or welds performed by a welder who is not bound to a single work area, who must bring their equipment with them to a job site.
There exists a need for a system that can sense and calculate the position and speed of a live welding arc during a live welding operation, where such system is portable, easy to use, and quick to assemble and disassemble.